The present invention generally relates to devices that can be attached to a drill motor and methods for providing coolant to a drill bit and for chip extraction during a drilling process and, more particularly, to a coolant feed drill nozzle with a thrust-vectored intake and a method for providing coolant to a drill bit and for vacuum extraction of drilling debris during drilling on non-flat surfaces.
Advanced aircraft, for example, the F-18, require many holes to be drilled into the fuselage of the aircraft. A numerically controlled drill jig exists for use on the forward fuselage of an F-18 aircraft. The numerically controlled drill jig offers an ergonomic, portable, foundation-free system for drilling holes into the skin of the aircraft that easily adapts to changes in the fabrication process while improving hole quality. This system utilizes a drill head unit that provides pressure to the fuselage skin of an aircraft, injects coolant towards a drill bit, and exhausts chips and dust occurring during the drilling process. Although the numerically controlled drill jig enables simple and low cost automation of the manufacturing process, the drill head unit of this system can only be used on the skins of the aircraft. Since the drill head unit of the numerically controlled drill jig is designed to apply pressure to the fuselage skins during the drilling process, a flat contact surface is necessary for the use of this drill head unit. Currently, if the numerically controlled drill jig is used for drilling holes into non-flat surfaces, for example, the leading edge extension spar of the F-18 aircraft that comprises recessed pockets and stiffened walls, the existing drill head unit must be removed. Since coolant injection and vacuum extraction of drilling debris is still needed, the machine operator must apply the coolant injection and vacuum extraction manually. However, manually applying the coolant to the drill bit and manually vacuum extracting the drilling debris is a dangerous, inconvenient, and time-consuming process.
There has, therefore, arisen a need to provide a drill head unit for use with the existing numerically controlled drill jig that enables the effective use of the numerically controlled drill jig on non-flat surfaces, for example, the leading edge extension spar of the F-18 aircraft. There has further arisen a need to provide a drill head unit that allows coolant injection towards the drill bit and vacuum extraction of the drilling debris such that the operation is safe, convenient, and timesaving. There has also arisen a need to provide a drill head unit, such as a drill nozzle, that may be easily attached to the existing numerically controlled drill jig and therefore, allows a low cost automation of the-drilling process on non-flat surfaces during the manufacturing, process of an aircraft. There has further arisen a need to provide a method for providing coolant to a drill bit during the drilling process on non-flat surfaces, for example the leading edge extension spar of the F-18 aircraft, while vacuum extracting the drilling debris, for example, chips, dust, and coolant, such that no drilling debris may damage the surrounding surfaces or may injure a machine operator.
Prior art further describes several drill motor vacuum attachments, for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,954 and U.S. Patent application No. U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,075 B1, both issued to Gaskin et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,917 issued to McGlasson et al. Even though these patents describe devices for vacuum extraction of drilling debris, for example, chip swarf and dust particles, these devices either don't allow coolant injection towards the drill bit (U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,954 and U.S. Patent application No. U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,075 B1) or these devices are too complex and not suitable to address the needs described above.
Prior art further discloses several devices for clamping a drill motor to a drill plate, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,187 issued to Slesinski et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,411 issued to McGlasson, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,618 issued to Blankenship et al. These prior art devises comprise an apparatus for securely clamping a drill motor to a drill plate in order to drill precisely positioned holes in a work piece. These prior art devices comprise attachments to a drill motor but do not provide coolant injection towards a drill bit or vacuum extraction of the drilling debris during the drilling process. Further, these prior art devices are not suitable for the use on non-flat surfaces, for example, the leading edge extension spar of the F-18 aircraft, to address the needs described above.
As can be seen, there is a need for a drill nozzle that allows coolant injection towards a drill bit such that the drill bit may be engulfed during the drilling operation. Also, there is a need for a drill nozzle that allows vacuum extraction of drilling debris during the drilling operation, such that no chips, dust, or remaining coolant fluid may damage or soil the surrounding surfaces or may injure a machine operator. Further, there is a need for a drill nozzle that may be attached to the drill motor unit of a prior art numerically controlled drill jig to enable the use of the numerically controlled drill jig for non-flat surface of an advanced aircraft, for example, the leading edge extension spar of the F-18 aircraft. Moreover, there is a need for a method for providing coolant to a drill bit during the drilling process on non-flat surfaces, for example, the leading edge extension spar of the F-18 aircraft, while vacuum extracting the drilling debris, for example, chips, dust, and coolant, and, therefore, improving the drill hole quality.